Eddie was horrified when Charlie rounded the corner after school one day, smiling wide. Her nose was swollen and bruised, a bit of dried blood under one nostril. He immediately dropped to his knees when she reached him, grabbing the wet wipes he kept handy to clean her up.

"What happened?" he asked Chris, trying to keep his voice calm not to alarm Charlie.

"I ran into James!" Charlie giggled, slapping her hands together to show him. "We were both running without looking."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not now. Mr Steve helped us get better. James' lip was bleeding!" she flinched when Eddie accidentally pressed on her nose and stepped away. "Ouch!"

"Sorry, babygirl."

"Can I go play now?"

"Sure." Once she was out of earshot, he turned to Chris and whispered, "What the fuck?!"

"It's fine. Just an accident."

"An accident?" he repeated in disgust, getting to his feet. Their conversation was cut short by a customer who he served quickly. Once they were alone again, he was back to interrogating her. "What was Steve doing? Does he not watch them?"

Chris rolled her eyes. "He can't watch all fifteen kids at once. Jesus, Eddie, they were playing! Charlie's fine. You should have seen Steve's face when it happened. I thought he was going to start crying when he apologized."

"Good." he snatched up his coat and was halfway to the door before Chris stopped him. "Let me go. I'm gonna go talk to him."

"No, you're not."

"Why not?"

"Because you're going to be an asshole."

"So?"

Chris gave him a very specific look, one that meant he was being dense. He glared back. Their staring contest only ended when Charlie hugged his legs, and she looked up at him imploringly. "Please don't be mad at Mr Steve."

Well, there went his anger. Eddie blew out a frustrated breath, rolling his eyes when Chris sniggered and crouched down beside Charlie. "You're okay?"

"Yep. It doesn't hurt anymore, I promise."

"You'll tell me if it does?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay." He smiled and kissed her head, rechecking her nose, but was satisfied with what he saw. "I won't go see Mr Steve."

Chris shook her head as he got up, and Charlie ran off again. "You're whipped."

Eddie only gave her the finger and got back to work. He listened hard whenever he heard Charlie's gleeful yells, but nothing seemed unusual. He began to relax as the day drew to a close, and he shut shop for the night.

The apartment was quiet when they got home; Chris was still out somewhere. Probably with Robin because those two had been joined at the hip ever since they'd met. It was nice to see Chris settling with someone, and he hoped Robin was sticking around. Charlie liked her. In fact, so did Eddie, not least because she often brought treats from Steve when she came over.

That night was no different. Just as Eddie was deciding what they should eat for dinner, Chris and Robin turned up with a goddamn casserole and Tupperware full of cookies. Robin set the large dish on the table and, smirking, handed Eddie a note. "From Steve. He's really sorry about what happened."

A little overwhelmed, Eddie could only smile and took the paper automatically. He was soon distracted by Charlie bounding over to have a look at the food with wide eyes. "From Mr Steve," he told her, grinning when she blushed. "Wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I am!" She turned to Robin, fists on her hips as she stood straight. "I'm perfect!"

"I'm not arguing with that," Robin told her. "But I'll be sure to remind Steve when I see him."

"Good. Can we eat now? I'm hungry."

"Sure thing, babygirl. Why don't you set the table, and I'll heat this up." Eddie carefully put the dish in the oven to warm. The last thing he wanted to do was break it and waste what was bound to be a delicious meal.

They weren't disappointed. Steve was an amazing baker, but he could have been a chef with how it tasted. Eddie genuinely considered not giving extra to Charlie when she asked so he'd have some for lunch tomorrow but gave in to her puppy dog eyes.

"I can always ask him to make more," Robin said with a knowing look. "He'd do anything to make sure you're not pissed."

Eddie shrugged. He was still annoyed that Steve had let something like that happen, but it could have been much worse. Charlie was okay, which was his main concern.

"Hey, Eddie, weren't you going out tonight?" Chris asked in a would-be casual voice, but she was smirking.

Shit. He was supposed to be meeting Princess tonight. Eddie glanced at his watch, but he still had an hour to get to the motel. If he wanted to go but was hesitant to leave Charlie in case she got worse overnight.

Reading his mind, it seemed, Chris reassured him. "I'll call if something happens. She's fine."

"Yep." Charlie smacked her lips together, resurfacing from the casserole momentarily.

"Okay, okay, I'll go get ready then." Holding up his hands in defeat, Eddie left the girls to finish dinner.

After showering and changing, Eddie remembered to put in his earrings and was just finishing when the note from Steve caught his eye, sticking out of his discarded jeans pocket. It was a decidedly sweet note that made him smile.

'I hope Charlie's doing fine. She said it was okay when she left, but I'm still worried. Hopefully, she enjoys the casserole. Robin says good food always helps take the pain away, and she usually's right about this kind of thing.

I'm really sorry about what happened. Chrissy can be hard to get out of a conversation with. Not that it's her fault; I'm totally to blame.

If you want to talk to me about it, I can stay late on Monday until you can make it?

Again, I'm really sorry and hoping you won't hate me for it - Steve x

Steve was a rambler when he got nervous, it seemed. For a moment, Eddie tried to picture him saying the words, but he didn't know what Steve looked like, let alone sounded like. Abandoning the notion, Eddie went to say goodbye. Not that he'd been gone for long, a few hours at the most, but Charlie would be asleep by the time he got back.

Charlie was helping Robin dry the dishes when Eddie snuck up on her. Robin had just enough time to snatch a plate from Charlie's hand before Eddie pulled her back and up into the air, laughing as she shrieked.

"Are you going to behave for Auntie Chris and Robin?" He asked, keeping a firm hold around her middle as she wriggled. "I won't let go until you say yes."

"Yes!" Satisfied, Eddie was about to hand Charlie off to Chris, but she still had her hands in the sink. Hesitating for a second, he turned to Robin instead, who, although nervous, took Charlie from him. Charlie smiled wide, hugging Robin around the neck. "Hi."

"Hi," Robin replied, sounding the most nervous Eddie had ever heard her, even when Chris had first introduced them. "You know, I expected you to be heavier."

"That's rude."

"Sorry." Robin's eyes widened when Charlie hugged her, but then she smiled and hugged her back. "Oh, you're good at this."

"Papaw taught me. Always give big hugs to people you like so they know you love them. And I like you a lot."

"I like you too, pumpkin."

Chris had dried her hands by this point and joined their hug, looking close to tears. Eddie had to walk away, using the excuse of finding his jacket so he didn't tear up as well. The last thing he needed was Princess questioning why his eyes were red.

Ready to go, Eddie felt composed enough to say goodbye and kissed Charlie's head. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Do you have to go?" She pouted, holding onto him tight.

"Yes. It's important." He risked glaring at Chris, daring her to object. "You have Chris and Robin to terrorize. It's only a few hours, I promise."

"Okay. Have fun, daddy. I love you."

"I'll try." He smiled as she hugged him. "Be good."

Finally free to go, with promises he would be called if Charlie's condition changed, Eddie left feeling slightly less anxious. The idea of seeing Princess again helped ease the troubled thoughts. He could go out and get laid without anything happening to Charlie. She was old enough, and she had Chris and Robin to watch her. Everything was fine.

Maybe he was the one with attachment issues. Well, there was no maybe about that. He'd never spent the night away from Charlie, and these hookups with Princess were about more than getting his rocks off. It was a chance to spend time apart from his babygirl to see how they coped with the separation.

So far, so good.

This time, the room was empty when he arrived. Granted, he was early by about fifteen minutes, which gave him plenty of time to think about what he was going to do.

Nothing came to mind, though, which was a little surprising. Usually, he had a whole list of things he wanted to try with Princess, but tonight, nothing. He didn't have long to worry about it, though, because the door opened, and in walked Princess, looking as beautiful as ever, if not more so because Eddie had missed him, even if that was hard to admit.

"Hey," Princess said, smiling wide. He shut the door and immediately wrapped Eddie up in the best hug he'd had all day.

Relaxing into the embrace, Eddie hugged him back with a hum. Princess was so warm, and he smelled like fresh bread, making Eddie's mouth water. "You smell good."

"Thanks," he laughed, just as warm as his embrace. "I've been baking. Maybe next time I'll bring you those strudels."

Eddie was so fucking lucky to know all these people who liked to bake and give it away. Still, it felt different coming from Princess. "Then I'd have to get you something too."

"You already do enough. Paying for dinners and this room."

He had a point, so Eddie let it go.

Princess pulled back to get a good look at him and frowned slightly. "Everything okay? You look tired."

"Long day."

"I know a little about that. How about we help each other out?" Princess kissed him, keeping it soft, and Eddie melted into the touch.

Nobody had ever kissed him quite like this, and it sent curious shocks down Eddie's spine, not entirely unwelcome. When they broke apart, he could only smile against Princess' lips. "You've never kissed me like that before."

"You never asked."

Also true. Eddie chose not to respond with words, though, pressing their lips together again in an addictive rhythm.

Princess took the lead, guiding Eddie back, and when his legs hit the bed, he sat down, smiling into the kiss when Princess quickly joined him, weight settling on his lap. "You look good with earrings," he whispered hotly in Eddie's ear, biting the lobe and making him groan. "I'm glad you remembered."

"Me too," Eddie replied distractedly, pulling off both their jackets. Princess was wearing a white t-shirt this time; his broad shoulders accented deliciously. Eddie wanted to taste him, to bite him and swallow up every pretty sound that fell from his gorgeous mouth. He was making good on the thought, yanking up the t-shirt, when his phone buzzed in his back pocket.

Princess grunted in surprise when Eddie threw him off in his haste to look at the notification. Heart pounding, worst fears in his head, it took a moment for him to realize it was a damn order notification for the shop. He exhaled a shaky laugh, glancing at Princess, and was surprised to see him look put out.

"Anything interesting?"

"Uh, no." Eddie smiled sheepishly, putting the phone on the side, and crawled over to Princess, kissing his pout away. "Sorry, Sweetheart, expecting the worst. If my phone rings, I gotta answer it."

"Even if your balls deep inside me?"

"Even then. I swear it's important."

Princess rolled his eyes, but before he could say something snarky, which Eddie quickly learned was a thing with him, Eddie kissed him again. Humming slightly, Princess accepted it, arms coming up around Eddie's neck to keep him close. Settling between his thighs, Eddie went back to working on that damn shirt, only breaking away to get it off Princess and grinning, running his fingers through his chest hair.

Still, his mind was blank on what came next, even as Princess raised his eyebrows expectantly. There was no urge to do anything, and Eddie sighed heavily, hands pressing intothe firm chest beneath him. "Sorry, Princess, I don't think I can do this tonight. I'm not in the right headspace. I don't want to hurt you."

Princess sat up, too, reaching out to splay his hands on Kas' thighs. He squeezed, getting his attention. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No, I-" he stopped again, feeling torn. Princess took the opportunity to kiss him. Just a gentle press of lips that relaxed Eddie enough to continue. "Someone I love got hurt. Nothing bad, just... An accident. I'm worried about them. Kinda hard to concentrate."

"Do you wanna call?"

"Nah, it's late. They're fine; I'm just overreacting. My cousin says I'm too protective." Eddie laughed, earning himself a smile. "Maybe she's right. Can't help it, though."

"Sounds like you need to relax."

"Yeah, you feeling up to it?" Maybe all he needed was a little direction.

Princess smiled, pushing Eddie's shoulders to make him lie down. "Turn over for me?" He did, and Princess settled on his thighs. He began messaging Eddie's shoulders, who groaned into the pillows at the sudden relief. "I do this all the time for my friend. She says I have the magic touch."

"She's not wrong." The tight band of anxiety in his chest loosened a bit, leaving him feeling slightly giddy.

"Looks like you need this. You're really tense."

"Comes with the territory."

Princess laughed, touch changing as he ran a finger across Eddie's back. It felt like he was tracing his tattoos. "You look the part."

"Just the scene, sweetheart. I don't bite unless you ask me to."

"Yeah?" He moved lower, and it felt so good Eddie moaned. "Gotta admit, the leather jacket and hair combo threw me at first. And then I saw your tattoos, figured you'd be an asshole. I'm glad to say I was wrong."

"I could say the same about you. Looked so preppy and innocent. Nothing like that at all."

"So what am I?"

"A menace."

Princess laughed, squeezing Eddie's sides. "That's rich coming from you! Besides, I'm not a menace. I'm more like you: overprotective. Which is why-"

"What is it?" Eddie lifted his head slightly at the abrupt cut-off and stilling of Princess' hands. When he got no response, he turned over and was surprised to see Princess looking so upset. "Hey, what's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

"I was... Babysitting someone's kid. I used to do it when I was younger, thought I was pretty good at it too." He laughed, but it quickly tapered off. "They got hurt. Took my eyes off them for a second. I still feel guilty."

Eddie sat up and asked gently, "What happened?"

"Nothing bad, thank god. Just a bump, but there was some blood. I'm still waiting for their dad to come yell at me or something. He's so nice, and now he's gonna hate me for letting his kid get hurt. Such a stupid thing. I'm such an idiot."

"Stop it." It reminded Eddie too much of Steve's letter. He was probably at home feeling the same way. So what he next said felt like it was for two people instead of just the one in front of him. "You're not stupid. Kids get hurt all the time. You can't watch them constantly."

"It's my job. I-"

"Kids will be kids." And suddenly, it hit Eddie. Any lingering annoyance he had for Steve vanished because, really, he wasn't to blame. Charlie ran into things constantly, and when she'd first learned to walk, Eddie had to baby-proof everything. So, how could he blame Steve for another silly bump? "Well, shit."

"What is it?"

"Oh, nothing." Eddie smiled, reaching out to cradle Princess' face. His thumbs brushed tenderly along his cheekbones, getting him to relax. "Nobody will blame you, sweetheart. Like you said, it was just a bump. Trust me, he's not gonna hurt you over it."

"What're you gonna do, protect me?"

"If I need to."

Princess laughed, the worry easing from his face. When he smiled, he only looked amused. "Thank you, but I'll be fine. I'll just... Apologize profusely again or something. Maybe if I cry, he'll feel bad enough not to be angry."

"Well, you do look pretty when you cry, so it should distract him."

Holding Eddie's wrists, Princess leaned in to kiss him. It was another one of those sweet kisses that left Eddie's heart aching.

When they broke apart, Princess whispered, "We don't have to have sex, y'know. Stay a little longer and hold me."

"You sure?"

His answer was another kiss, Princess climbing into his lap. Eddie wrapped his arms around him to pull him impossibly closer. Despite both of them being physically aroused - it was hard to ignore Princess' hardening cock pressed against his stomach - Eddie felt no need to chase it. The feeling simmered low in his belly, noticeable but not entirely unpleasant. Kissing Princess and holding him close was enough for tonight.

Princess seemed to agree, happy to stay in their little warm bubble.

It was dark by the time they broke apart, Eddie's lips sore when he smiled wide, looking into Princess' darkened hazel eyes. "Hey."

"Hey," he whispered back, shifting closer so they were nose to nose. "Feeling better?"

"Sure am. You?"

"A little."

Eddie hummed, running a hand over the curve of his hip to squeeze his side, pulling him closer. He smiled when Princess threw a leg over him so they were entirely pressed together. "Anything you want?"

"No. This is just fine."

Eddie couldn't agree more as their lips met again.